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The birth of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has instantly drawn the attention of scholars, academicians and learners. Millions of participants are learning through this freely accessible model of education. The purpose of this paper is to review the development of MOOCs, its characteristics and to explore its potential and challenges in Pakistan particularly.

The data were collected through interviews and focus group, and the respondents had completed at least one MOOC offering. This research used content and thematic analysis with the triangulation of methods and sources.

The finding of this study reflects that MOOCs are inspiring great number of learners in Pakistan despite of factors impeding the surge of e-learning. MOOCs in regional languages with better electricity and internet connectivity could be very useful for the rural areas’ people but it requires extra ordinary interest from government and academicians.

This is an exploratory qualitative study highlighting the potential and challenges of MOOCs from the perspective of faculty and students. However, it does not incorporate the views of university officials. Similar study could consider university officials and university owner as respondents. In addition, future studies could also investigate the factors inhibiting completion of MOOCs.

Despite of the sharp rise of published literature on MOOCs, there is less contribution from the developing countries. This research enables us to develop better understanding of the potential and challenges of MOOCs in the social context of Pakistan.

This study aims to investigate the evolving role and impact of ChatGPT in higher education. It seeks to understand the applications, benefits and challenges associated with ChatGPT, focusing on its potential to enhance teaching, learning and assessment while addressing ethical considerations in the educational context.

Using a comprehensive literature review approach, this study systematically examined 29 existing studies and scholarly works related to ChatGPT in higher education. Synthesizing these findings offers a multifaceted view of the subject, encompassing applications, advantages, limitations and ethical implications.

The study indicates that ChatGPT can have a significant impact on personalized learning, lesson planning, providing feedback, creating study materials, generating quizzes and exam questions, supporting language learning, offering virtual teaching assistance, tutoring and fostering critical thinking. However, it also sheds light on the ethical issues and challenges associated with its use, including privacy and data protection, transparency and alignment with educational principles.

This study underscores the practical applications of ChatGPT in higher education, offering insights that can significantly enhance teaching, learning and assessment practices. By leveraging ChatGPT, institutions can personalize learning experiences and provide tailored feedback and streamlined assessment processes, thereby improving student engagement and understanding. In addition, the integration of ChatGPT as a virtual teaching assistant can enhance teaching effectiveness and efficiency by supporting classroom activities, providing additional resources and answering students’ questions in real-time.

The originality of this study lies in its comprehensive exploration of ChatGPT’s applications in higher education, offering a balanced perspective on opportunities and ethical considerations. By providing valuable insights, it equips educators and institutions with a deeper understanding of the ChatGPT’s potential and challenges in the educational landscape.